Avaliação da frequência de SARS-CoV-2 e o impacto do uso do teste rápido no tempo de resposta laboratorial (TRL) no Instituto Nacional de Saúde em 2021

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 and the impact of the use of rapid testing on laboratory response time (TRL) at INS in 2021. In order to achieve the objective set, a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study with a quantitative approach was carried out. The study was carried out at the National Institute of Health (INS). Data were collected from 3 hospitals and 1 health center, namely: Matola Provincial Hospital, Mavalane General Hospital, Chamanculo General Hospital and Marracuene Health Center. Laboratory data were collected, corresponding to a 9-month interval, from January to September 2021. In this time interval, 21,931 patients with symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 were identified, of which 55.80% (12,237/21,931) of the patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The lowest frequency of SARS-CoV-2 cases, 45.56% (5621/12337), was observed before the introduction of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and the highest frequency of 54.44% (6716/12337) of SARS-CoV-2 cases was observed after the introduction of RDT. Regarding the impact of RDT use on laboratory turnaround time (LRT) at the INS, the results of the study suggest that before the introduction of RDT, results took longer, with an average time of 24h:25 minutes, while after the introduction of RDT, laboratory turnaround time was drastically reduced, with an average time of 15h:13 minutes. The chi-square test showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.033) in laboratory turnaround time before and after the implementation of RDTs, which means that the introduction of RDT was crucial in reducing laboratory time, i.e., it had a positive impact on reducing laboratory time(TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)